


The Quiet

by CastielTheAngel



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Digital Art, Drabble, Established Keith/Lance (Voltron), Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gentle Kissing, Keith is a sweetheart, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, M/M, Out of Character, Panic Attack, Panicking, Short One Shot, Sort of? - Freeform, klance, klangst, ooc keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-28 11:51:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11417370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CastielTheAngel/pseuds/CastielTheAngel
Summary: This is a completely unedited idea that I just took and ran with, so it's probably 100% cringeworthy, sappy trash. I'd use the excuse that I wrote this on a time crunch, (which, technically, I did), but I was also feeling really lazy, so the drabble is really messy and completely unpolished. Most of it is dialogue and no thoughts or feelings or description. My apologies. ;w;Okay, I was weird and I used female pronouns for all the lions that were mentioned, even though they literally have no gender. What the fluff.The first few paragraphs are just filler text for explanation of the situation... I only began to put actual effort into writing this when I got to Keith and Lance alone together.also, Keith and Lance are already boyfriends, if you didn't get that from the 'established' tag. *v*





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a completely unedited idea that I just took and ran with, so it's probably 100% cringeworthy, sappy trash. I'd use the excuse that I wrote this on a time crunch, (which, technically, I did), but I was also feeling really lazy, so the drabble is really messy and completely unpolished. Most of it is dialogue and no thoughts or feelings or description. My apologies. ;w;
> 
>  
> 
> Okay, I was weird and I used female pronouns for all the lions that were mentioned, even though they literally have no gender. What the fluff.
> 
>  
> 
> The first few paragraphs are just filler text for explanation of the situation... I only began to put actual effort into writing this when I got to Keith and Lance alone together.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> ~~also, Keith and Lance are already boyfriends, if you didn't get that from the 'established' tag. *v*~~

 

_Lance hadn't been panicking when he and Pidge were left alone to fight off a fleet of Galra fighter jets by themselves. He hadn't been freaking out when Blue was temporarily disabled and he was unable to assist Pidge. He had barely even taken a moment to show alarm when he'd been forced to jump out of Blue and jetpack over to Green after Pidge had been knocked unconscious._

_In the process of getting to Pidge's lion, Lance had taken a blow to the helmet from one of the fighters. He had been insanely grateful that the shot had merely grazed him, but it was still powerful enough to damage the armor. Blue had leaped into action, taking down and completely mutilating the jet. She'd even shattered one of its wings with her powerful jaw. Keith had finally shown up, and Red had begun to blast the remaining drones._

_Green had reluctantly allowed Lance to pilot her back to her hangar._

 

          "Pidge is out. Hunk, I need your help!" Lance shouts over the speakers as Green became dormant and he lifts Pidge from the ground where he'd moved her. The younger Paladin's breathing patterns are soft and uneven, almost as if her lungs are struggling to perform their imperative task. Blood is trickling down the side of her head where she had fallen out of her chair and hit it.

          "You're gonna be okay." Lance murmurs, unsure of whether or not she can actually hear him. _She really has a problem with keeping her seat belts fastened_ , he thinks. He quickly leaves Green's hangar, and is met with Hunk rushing in the moment the door opens. 

          "Get her to a healing pod. I need to go make sure Blue didn't take too much damage!" Lance says urgently. Hunk takes Pidge from Lance's arms.

          "Don't go outside if she's not in the hangar, Lance. Your helmet is cracked. I don't know how much pressure it could withstand in that state." Hunk warns. Lance nods in acknowledgement. He removes the piece of armor and secures it between the crook of his elbow and the gentle inward slope of his torso. He turns away from Hunk and runs down towards Blue's hangar. Shiro and Keith are inside when Lance enters, and they're both carrying a smashed jet away from Blue. Both of their helmets are locked beneath their arms in the same position that Lance's is, while their free hands hold up the dysfunctional fighter.

          "What..?" Lance's eyebrows shift upward and he redirects his gaze to his lion. 

          "She wouldn't let go of it. You two take it to the airlock and get rid of it." Shiro says. He moves and shifts the weight of his side of the drone onto Lance's shoulder and open palm once Lance positions himself behind the Black Paladin. 

 

          The sheer amount of relief that Lance can feel sends his mind spinning. He has no idea about the mental state of his lion, but she appears to be perfectly fine, physically. Lance and Keith exit Blue's hangar and make their way down to the airlock with the mutilated fighter jet. The silence is comfortable. Welcome, even, and that's saying a _lot_ for Lance.

          "How did you get her back inside?" He asks suddenly, voice slicing through the quiet. It's abrupt, and Lance thinks for a moment that Keith had startled at it. Upon visual inspection, Lance realizes that he must have imagined the wince. The Red Paladin looks completely nonchalant as his gaze gently shifts to rest on Lance.

          "Just flew her in normally. Like you do." He responds. Lance can't help the fond smile that crosses his lips as he looks down at his boots. 

          "She seems to have taken a liking to you." Lance comments. He pauses a moment and glances back up at Keith, his smile sliding from kind to ludic in a heartbeat. "... But she told me she still hates your mullet." 

          " _Shut up!_ " Keith nearly shouts. There are no traces of sincere heat behind the biting outburst, and Lance takes Keith's tone of choice as permission to laugh. The Red Paladin doesn't seem particularly angry, anyway. He merely glares at Lance, but there's an odd softness to his expression. The two continue their walk to the airlock in silence, basking in the presence of each other. 

          Once they get to the airlock, Keith elbows the button that opens the first door. The boys set the drone down inside, and the door automatically closes behind them. Lance inhales sharply and a sudden burst of panic jets through him like a shockwave. He quickly remembers that Coran, Hunk, and Pidge had installed a panel that could open the inner door not too long after Lance had almost been sucked out into space without his suit. Keith smiles in gentle reassurance that nothing is going to happen to them. It seems that he, too, is recalling the incident. 

          Keith shoves the dead piece of Galra equipment closer to the outer door before he makes his way over to the panel and opens the inner one. He and Lance step out of the room– Lance makes it his _mission_ to rush out as quickly as possible– and Keith presses the button to begin the countdown. 

          The countdown doesn't start.

          Keith tries again.

          Nothing.

          "Looks like we're going to have to open it manually." Keith mutters, clearly irritated by the situation. He tugs his helmet out from beneath his arm and slides it on over his head, activating the lower section of the glass mask. to cover his nose and mouth. Lance follows Keith's actions, completely forgetting about the cracks in the material. 

          Keith opens the inner door and steps inside once again, as does Lance, albeit with a little more hesitation and reluctance. Keith grabs two tethers; a blueish-grey one and a brownish-red one. He hands the grey one to Lance and hooks the brown one onto his belt. 

          "Strap in, Lance. We don't need a bad remake of 'Gravity'. Especially not without my jetpack." Keith says. He raises his eyebrows at Lance and Lance grins right back, despite the nerves that are causing his legs to unnoticeably quake. Lance slides the hook onto his belt.

          "You've seen 'Gravity'?" Lance asks suddenly, cocking one brow in curiosity. 

          "I wasn't a _complete_ hermit back on Earth, you know," Keith shoots back mildly. Lance shrugs. He pauses and recalls Keith's comment. He realizes something that he hadn't noticed before: Keith's armor is indeed lacking its jetpack. 

          "I didn't know those could even come off. Why is yours missing?" Lance turns Keith around to inspect the expansion of bare backplate that the red instrument would normally take up. 

          "It malfunctioned when I flew from Red to Blue." Keith replies with a shrug. "Coran removed it right when I came back so he could fix it." 

          "Sounds like everyone's taking unnecessary damage today." Lance mutters. He realizes what he's said just seconds too late. _His helmet is cracked_. But the inner airlock door closes with no warning, and suddenly the countdown until the outer door opens begins. Lance turns and slams his black-suit-clad fists against the powerful glass, shuddering out a few desperate breaths. Keith raises his eyebrows. He can understand Lance's fear, but he can't bring himself to relate. Nothing's going to happen; they can simply open the door from the inside and get back out again. 

          Or perhaps not.

          Keith hits the button to open the inner door.

          Nothing happens.

          He tries again, this time smacking his whole palm down on it, _hard_. 

          Nothing happens.

          "Okay... so we go for a little space swim. As long as we've got these, we'll be fine." Keith says as he tugs on his tether, not quite getting why Lance feels so unsafe when he's wearing his suit of armor and his--

          " _Helmet_..." Keith breathes. The back of the Blue Paladin's helmet is nearly _falling apart_. There's no way it'll hold with the pressure of being thrown out into space. 

          A dark realization shadows over the two boys. Only one of them will make it out alive.

 

          "Lance, you have to breathe." Keith commands. His voice is firm, but his touch is soft and kind. He sits beside Lance, who has slid down against the door. Lance grips both sides of his head with his hands, digging his fingers hard into his scalp where his helmet had been just seconds prior.

          "I'm gonna die." Lance chokes out, clawing and tugging at his hair desperately. Keith grabs one of the boy's slim wrists and tugs it close to his own chest. Lance finds himself welcoming Keith's close proximity in a moment during which he usually would not. He doesn't particularly like being touched when he's in this state of mind, but right now he wants nothing more than to drink in Keith's scent and drown in his arms. 

          "You're not going to die, stop saying that." Keith says as Lance presses in closer to him. Keith can feel the Blue Paladin's muscles trembling. His heart pangs harshly in his chest.

          "I am. _Oh f_ \- Blue doesn't hate your mullet, she loves it, and she loves _you_ , and _I_ love you-" Lance's fingers tighten into fists as his vision dances. It almost makes him feel sick. Suddenly his suit feels just a little too tight, just a little too hot. He takes comfort in the fact that Keith is there- _right there_ , and he's not going anywhere. Not that he has much of a choice, but he's not. 

          Keith lets go of Lance for a moment so he can take off his own helmet. Lance's whole body shudders. Keith gently lifts Lance's chin up so he can see Lance's face, and cups the boy's jaw. Lance isn't crying, but he looks quite ready to. Keith leans forward and closes what little space is left between them. Lance doesn't do anything at first, but after a moment he returns the soft gesture, squeezing Keith's wrist as the Red Paladin thumbs over the side of Lance's face. It's more likely than not the final kiss they will ever share, and that thought is what causes Lance to completely lose whatever little tranquility remained in his lurching mind. His sob breaks the kiss and his fingers tighten around Keith's wrist almost painfully hard. 

          " _Sixteen. Fifteen. Fourteen._ "

          "Keith, I don't wanna die, I don't-" Lance gasps, staring into Keith's eyes. Keith smiles sadly at Lance.

          "You're not going to die." He says as he picks up his helmet.

          "Stop it. Stop lying to me! My helmet's broken. It's not going to hold together." Lance says, turning to look at his own piece of armor and fingering at one of the pieces of glass on the front that's already beginning to fall out. Keith's expression remains uncharacteristically positive; he continues to smile, it's this _knowing_ look and Lance _hates_ it. He absolutely hates it.

          " _Nine. Eight. Seven_."

          "I wouldn't lie to you. _Ever_." Keith swears. His fingers tighten against his helmet. He knows what he has to do.

          "Wh... what are you...?" Lance begins as Keith pulls his own helmet into his lap. 

          " _Three_."

          "Keith _, no_." Lance breathes. He knows now, too.

          " _Two_."

          "No, no, no, Keith, _no!_ " Lance can feel the panic rise to levels he never knew it could. Keith quickly slides the red helmet on over Lance's head and activates the section of the mask that covers its wearer's nose and mouth.

          " _One_."

          "I love you," Keith says with a wide grin, a sharp contrast to his eyes which are wide and _scared_. Lance can't recall such a moment in which he's seen Keith genuinely frightened.

          " _Caution. Airlock doors opening._ "

          Before Lance's brain has the opportunity to catch up with Keith's actions, Keith forms his bayard and uses the sword to slice through the tether on his belt. He can hear the heart wrenching combination of Lance screeching and sobbing his name, he can feel the immediate change in atmosphere-

          and then he feels nothing.

 

          _Nothing at all_.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally drew some fanart that this was based off of, so if you want to see that, you can check it out here:
> 
> http://oh-no-castiel.deviantart.com/art/the-quiet-vld-klance-fanfic-691397084
> 
> <3


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Very short, unedited.
> 
> Lance struggles with the lost of his boyfriend and his own self-worth.

 

          "Lance, what happened? Come on, lad, what happened?" Coran asks. His voice is soft and kind. Lance stares right through him.

          "It was my fault. It was my fault. I couldn't save him." Lance says. It's the same thing he's been repeating since Shiro had found him drifting outside the airlock.

          "It wasn't your fault, Lance. You couldn't have done anything." Hunk says gently. He pats Lance on the back, but Lance says nothing.

  _You screw-up. You could have done something. You could have been more adamant about refusing the helmet. You could have done something. You should have made Keith wear the helmet. Keith's life is worth a million of yours. It should have been you. Your dead body should be floating somewhere, lost in space. It should be you._

          "You tried, Lance." Pidge murmurs. She has taken the place of Coran, right in front of Lance. Lance stares straight through her, too.

          _Yeah, you tried, but it wasn't good enough. It wasn't. You're never going to be good enough. Keith was meant to be the future Black Paladin. Now we can't even form Voltron. Keith was meant to do great things. Keith was meant to be important. It should be you._

          Shiro offers nothing but a hug and a quiet " _get some sleep_ ". 

          Lance smiles to himself as Shiro and the Paladins leave his room. _I'm already asleep,_ he thinks. _I'm asleep, and in the morning I'll wake up. I'll wake up next to Keith, and he'll be there to hug me and tell me that everything's okay. That it was all just a bad dream. All of it._

          He desperately longs for nothing more than to wake up from this nightmare. So he murmurs a soft, "I love you," and cries himself to sleep, suffocating himself in his pillow.

 

          But when Lance does wake up, Keith isn't there.

 

          The acceptance hits Lance like a freight train.

 

          Keith isn't coming back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's... that's it.
> 
> ;w;
> 
> <3

**Author's Note:**

> I originally drew some fanart that this was based off of, so if you want to see that, you can check it out here:
> 
> http://oh-no-castiel.deviantart.com/art/the-quiet-vld-klance-fanfic-691397084
> 
> <3


End file.
